Illinois has the opportunity to use its Medicaid program to support 342,000 low-income, highly vulnerable, uninsured individuals, including thousands of people living with HIV. Anyone who earns up to 133% of the federal poverty level, or about $15,282 annually, would be eligible to enroll in Medicaid.

This change will be supported 100% with federal dollars for the first several years, and federal support will never drop below 90%. This important legislation will help the Illinois economy, making health systems stronger and more cost-effective, while ensuring hardworking Illinois residents have access to care.

An outdated law from 1989 makes Illinois the only state in the country in which health authorities must notify school principals the names of HIV-positive students. These principals can then share this information with other school personnel, which puts student privacy at risk and could be a violation of the AIDS Confidentiality Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

HB 61 would repeal this law, allowing students and parents to disclose to people they deem necessary for medical reasons. Schools already put into place precautions for blood-borne diseases, and we know today that HIV cannot be transmitted
through biting, fighting, sports, or other school situations.

This bill requires that if a public school chooses to teach sexual health education, then the program must be medically accurate and developmentally and age appropriate. It does not apply to private or religious schools, nor does it require specific lesson plans, activities, or materials.

HB 2675 includes information on reducing unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, stresses abstinence, and applies to grades 6-12. With young people accounting for 39% of all new HIV infections, this bill is a valuable tool to provide students with the information and ability to prevent the spread of HIV.